English winemakers raise a glass to Brexit

Across the sun-kissed vineyards of England's south coast, there's no sour grapes over Brexit.

Britain's winemakers are instead finding their glasses half full thanks to a steep drop in the value of the pound, which has made their wares more affordable abroad.

"The fall in the currency will help our export operations, which are considerable," said Frazer Thompson, CEO of Kent-based winery Chapel Down. "And in order to create a brand in the true sense, we have to have an international reach."

Like other winemakers, Chapel Down is benefiting from a resurgence in interest in English wine. The firm's sales have risen 30% from a year ago, and the price of its listed shares has doubled in 2016.

To meet the surge in demand, Chapel Down is adding almost 100 new acres of vines.

But by planting the same grapes as those used in France's fabled Champagne, Chapel Down have turned a novelty bottle into a prized product in less than two decades.

"We are 120 miles from the northern reaches of Champagne -- the most famous wine producing area of the world -- and we have exactly the same type of soil," he said. "That's what makes English wine so fantastic."

English sparkling wines even beat Champagne in a number of blind tastings last year, cementing the country's place in the world of wine.

Chapel Down's wines are even served at the tables of Buckingham Palace and No.10 Downing Street.